Too young to remember.. I hear the Winters are brutal down there.
Poland is beautiful during the winter.
Everything looks so pure, white and clean outside (when you come inside everythng is wet and dirty:)
The freshly fallen snow in minus 7 or 10 forms crystals that glitter like diamonds when you walk around this winter wonderland.
The sound of your footsteps changes depending on how cold it is, yesterday in minus 12, the snow squeaked with every footstep but at higher temperatures the snow acts as sound insulation, sucking up all the travelling waves and giving the place a wonderful sense of peace and tranquillity.
The trees look naked in autumn only to be decorated in winter with snow. And when the snow blows on the trees on one side, all the trees lean over under the weight of the snow. This makes the trees look animated, as if they are all walking in the same direction :)
At lower temperatures the bacteria die and the air is so fresh, like it was medically treated or something.
It is essential to have the correct clothing and you must be aware of so many things that I am not used to coming from a temperate climate. Pipes may freeze and burst, heck everything may freeze and burst.
This time of year it does take extra effort to be energetic, the short cold days can take it out of you but if you force yourself to get out and about, it is amazing.
Here in the south of Poland it does not get so cold for long, you may have a few days of minus 20 Celsius. Like now for example, it was plus 7 or 9 last week now it is about minus 15 or 20 and next week it is expected to be plus again. They can predict the weather here to a great degree. This is something you can't really do where I am from, on an island in the Atlantic, as the ocean is too unpredictable and usually means rain anyway.
The coldest I have ever been in was minus 32 Celsius now that is a whole other thing, no Irish man should ever be in such cold. It was incredible but even with that said, I am glad to have experienced it as that is all this life is after all, a series of experiences, so I am happy enough to be part of these wonders of nature.
My main plan for this winter for having fun is to snowboard/ski (which is the best fun you can have with your clothes on), make snow sculpting in the garden and drive down to the frozen car park and skid around it.
There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing (well except for minus 32, then it is actually too cold :)